MIAMI — Hello, for the first time, from Marlins Park, home of the bullpen bar with dancing girls, the lime green outfield fence, the fish tank in the backstop and the home run thingamajig. Photos truly cannot do this thing justice. It is massive.

Perhaps it's a good thing the Nationals are a bit loopy this morning after their short turnaround from last night's game in Atlanta. Said Davey Johnson: "I feel like I flew from Beijing to Miami." Guys are in a good mood, though, helped by the fact they just swept the Braves.

There's a new face in the clubhouse as well. Outfielder Corey Brown had his contract purchased from Class AAA Syracuse (where he led the team with 12 homers, five of them over his last five games). Chad Tracy, meanwhile, has been placed on the 15-day DL with a groin injury; he'll fly to Philadelphia tomorrow to be examined but could miss significant time. To make room on the 40-man roster for Brown, Jayson Werth has been transferred to the 60-day DL. Jesus Flores, meanwhile, says his right hamstring feels much better, and he hopes to be able to catch tomorrow night.

It's Jordan Zimmermann vs. Carlos Zambrano on this Memorial Day. Live updates and analysis to come…

I was wondering about the clubhouse rule, too. Because that could really impact the Kid.My personal hope is that Mark goes a looooooong time before he sees that homerun thingamajig do its dance. I haven't been following the fish too carefully, but I hope Hanley is still off his game. And that Sanchez has whatever Halladay has.

Off topic but topical at the same time:Today, I slept in some. Later, I will fire up the grill, watch a baseball game and have a few cold beers. My friends will be doing similar things. While we are enjoying this day off, across the world, United States Marines and Army Soldiers will be standing a sentry post, Naval and Coast Guard personnel will be patrolling the waters and Air Force personnel will be patrolling the air. Many others have given the ultimate sacrifice that has enabled us to live our lives in peace.Thank you to all our past and present Armed Forces and especially to those who gave all…May everyone at nats Journal have a happy and safe Memorial day.

I thought a tropical storm was headed there, your picture looks too sunny.Can someone with more brains than me expplain On base percentages.bryce Harper has 101 AB, 14 walks and 1 HBP. (also a sacrafice fly that doesn;'t count I thought)Wgeb U duvude 44 by 116 I get .379. When I divide 44 bt 117 I get .376. MLB gas him listed as.376. Did the sacrafice gly at bat count? It doesn't count on vatting average so that seems dumb. Where might he have that extra at bat that seems to be counting if not the sacragice fly?Thanks for helping me as this is one of those little things that bug me.

Mark, any indication from Davey yet about how he plans to use Brown? Totally unlike Moore, Brown isn't on the 25 man to play out of position; but even more than TMo — and like most call ups — Brown needs ABs to get acclimated to the Show (as he has at each level).Does Davey think Ankiel is going on a hot streak again and wants to ride it before putting in Brown? No point in bringing Brown up to be a bat off the bench when Werth's absence gives the perfect opportunity for Brown to get his sea legs in the Show . Sure, he'd be going back to the bench when Werth returns, but they'd have a somewhat seasoned backup to give the starters a blow. And you always need depth with the injury bug about to strike.

I thought a tropical storm was coming, that looks sunny.Can someone help me with a caculation that make no sense to me.Harper has had 101 officalat bats. 29 hits 14 walks and 1 HBP.In figuring his On base percentage I dividded 44 by 116 and got .379. MLB says it .376 That would mean 1 44 divided by 117. Does his plate appearance that was a sacrafice fly count against him in in base percentage, even though it doesn't count against him natting average?Thanks for the help.

Re: catching situation. Amanda tweeted thisAmanda Comak ‏@acomakDavey did say that with Jhonatan Solano off the minor league DL, if the worst case happens & they need someone, he's just a phone call away

orry for the duplication it never showed on my list the first time.As for not not making base that is true, but it doesn't count against the batting average and you did make an an out, so it seems the two stats aren't consistent in how they come up with them. I concluded it had to count, just didn't know officially.

Sitting about 20 rows behind the Nats dugout. The place is absolutely beautiful but I've already negotiated more pedestrian ramps than 5 years of Nats Park. Only hdcp tickets and Diamond Club have access to elevators and I haven't found the first escalator.And you certainly better not be put off by a latin slant to things.

TimDz said… Off topic but topical at the same time: While we are enjoying this day off, across the world, United States Marines and Army Soldiers will be standing a sentry post, Naval and Coast Guard personnel will be patrolling the waters and Air Force personnel will be patrolling the air. Many others have given the ultimate sacrifice that has enabled us to live our lives in peace.Thank you to all our past and present Armed Forces and especially to those who gave all…May everyone at nats Journal have a happy and safe Memorial day. May 28, 2012 11:33 AM _______________________________Well said Tim! Can't think it enough while we are enjoying the fruits of freedom!

Eddie, I would say Brown plays tomorrow (another righty–Sanchez). Give him a minute to get acclimatized to unfamiliar park. Let him shag flies, pinch hit, maybe come in late innings if it's lopsided.Arm also unfamiliar with new park, but has a better chance of figuring it out on the first try. Just my opinion.

To answer the questions about Werth being allowed in the dugout now that he's on the 60-day DL … I don't know of any rule that prevents it. He'll still be rehabbing at Nationals Park and be around as much as before. And Wilson Ramos has been in the dugout since suffering his injury.

(2). Mark, does Werth being on the 60 day DL mean he can't be in the clubhouse? If so, That stinks.Of course he can be in the clubhouse. He can even be on the field before games and during BP. Hell, even the owner can do that. If anything, being on the 60-day DL might keep Werth out of the dugout during games. But that's not that big a deal.

I'm still trying to figure out how Harper was *blah* at Triple-A Syracuse but a stud in the majors:Syracuse: 18/72, .250/.333/.375, 1 HR 3RBI, Washington: 29/101, .287/.376/.525, 4 HR, 11 RBIMaybe he was like the really smart kid in school who got really low grades but once he skipped a couple of grades, he was straight-A's because he was finally challenged.I guess he was bored at Syracuse and didn't concentrate, but he's sure making it look easy right now. Farid @ Idaho

Whatnot, I think the question we were all asking — excuse the imprecision of my writing "clubhouse" — was the one Mark answered, about his being in the dugout during games. And yes, that is a huge deal. Werth's (and to a lesser extent Ramos, but he learned a lot from Pudge) ability to observe and figure out what other teams are doing helps Davey and the team figure out what approach to take in response at the plate, in pitching, on the base paths, in the field. It's like having another coach who's actually played against the opposition to refine the game plan on the fly.

I'm kind of concerned that the Nats are going into this game with no experience with that funny round wall thar forms the right side if that "thing" in left center field. And watching Bryce track fly balls in this place could be interesting, too.

Mana: yes it counts. It's not dumb… The walks don't count on BA either. On the sac, he gets "on base", right?Um, no. He doesn't get on base on a sac fly. And the guy who scores was already on base, so you can't give the batter credit for that.Very simply, BA is based on official at bats. Walks, HBP and sacrifices aren't counted as official at bats. OBP is based on plate appearances. Walks, HBP and sacs count as plate appearances.It's no surprise that these two stats aren't consistent. They were developed at different times for different purposes. BA has been around forever, while OBP was at the leading edge of sabermetrics. Also, since OBP is based on PAs and BA is based on ABs, occasionally early in a season you'll see a guy who has no walks but some sacrifices have an OBP that is actually less than his BA.

well they arrived at 3 AM in Miami…ouch..but I remember a post that the effects of sleep depravation doesn't kick in until the next game (tomorrow).At least JZnn will be well rested. Of course, C Brown had a very long trip yesterday too.

Nats Lady at 11:50 — agree, that's why I was asking Mark about the broader plan. You don't want anyone getting their first MLB start a few hours after stepping off an unexpected plane flight if you can avoid it. I would take a start in CF by Brown on Tuesday and Wednesday (both against RHPs) as evidence that Davey does want to give him a real chance.

A note from Kilgore's story:The Nationals are not taking batting practice or fielding practice pregame, which may be difficult because no Nationals have ever played here before.Kilgore is a terrible writer. Why is it difficult for them to not take batting practice if they've never been there before? They just don't take batting practice. How hard is that?True, the lack of BP may lead to difficulties during the game. But he didn't say that. And on balance, if they take BP at the expense of two or three hours of sleep, that could lead to difficulties during the game too.

there is a theory that in AAA, pitchers have less control and he gets less good pitches to hit as they try to carefully out pitch him. I've heard that theory too, but it's never made sense to me – high school and juco pitchers are certainly not better than AAA pitchers, and Bryce didn't have a lot of trouble with them.I think the lack of motivation theory makes more sense. Bryce knew what everyone else did – that his call up was only a matter of when, not if. He lacked the motivation that most guys have in AAA–they know still have something to prove if that want to make the majors. Bryce didn't.

Just he old fart in me is wondering under all this logic, you make base an error,, that doesn't count for you, but you made base. Seems like that should count too. Thanks for the help, I actually did answer my question once I thought about it.Speaking of stats Harper is now in top 50 in runs scored. Not bad for playing about 60% of the games. Want to see him climb that list.

Yes, NJ, more commentary on the park and how it plays as time permits. I'd love to be there. Will need to get a VW bus for the summer of Jeff touring all the ballparks…Been to the new new york stadiums, fenway, pittsburgh, houston, camden, nats park but that's about it.

Bryce had a lack of motivation in AAA? Bulloney. He is a human powder keg of motivation — his entire life has been about going all-out as a ballplayer. At just about every level, he has started slowly. He makes adjustments and then he rakes. It's that simple.

@Nats Jack (FYI we went to the same high school, I was there when Big Cat was there).You ahve a cuty W hat on, what else so we can be looking for you on a foul over the dugout. or When MASN talks about nats fans around the country.

Via twitter – Bo Porter was on the field this morning hitting balls all around the field to no one to see how the field plays. At least some attempt to figure things out. ESPN talking heads made all kinds of excuses for Heyward last night for having problems in his own, home outfield. Sheesh. I would rather have them rested. At least it won't be hot. Have they played an indoor game yet this season? How many indoor stadiums are there now? Go Nats! We will miss you Chad – get well! Go Corey Brown – you have had some mighty supporters around here and I hope you prove them to be absolutely correct!

Wasn't last night a record for comments? (Don't remember going over 400 before.). They keep playing like this, and road games where Mark isn't with the team (so not a lot of other posts to spread our jabbering across) are gonna be like that.Mark, is there any way to put a "top of page" button at the bottom of the comment thread so those of us posting on mobile devices don't have to scroll up endlessly to do a refresh on the thread? Don't want to sound unappreciative — you're a fabulous host and guide to the best Nats fan hangout and go-to site around, especially for this year's trip to baseball nirvana!

OK….they do have escalators that take you from the first level to the second and third. And since all of Miami is within 5 feet of being part of the Atlantic Ocean the field and street level are the same as opposed to DC where the field is below street level.

jeffwx — I thought that was only for home wins when they score 5 or more. Six is for Hard Times Cafe wings. Evidence of how well they're starting to rock the ball — and without Beast and Werth! — is that my 11 year old says she's starting to get tired of wings.

And Barrymore spooking Robinson remeniscing about the 1935 hurricane where they were picking out bodies out of the mangrove swamps for months after. Actually true. That hurricane moved a train 400 feet killing all workers aboard

You can get 50% off from Papa John's because we won yesterday with 6 runs, doesn't matter that it was not a home game.Here is the diff between April and May. April, 2 runs in the first, I'm nervous. Now, I'm just in waiting mode. When Gio hit the sacfly to tie the game I said to myself, "OK, we got this."

Here it is:All season long, use the Promo Code: NATS50 every day after the Nats win & score at least 5 Runs for 50% OFF regular menu price at PapaJohns.com!Papa John’s, Official Pizza of your Washington Nationals.Use the promotion code NATS50 and you must order online!

Nuggets from radio interview: Davey's Dad was a prisoner-of-war (Army), his grandpops was Navy. And he's tired… He got three hours sleep because he woke up with the sun… and he almost sent himself ahead along with Zimmermann… And he loves the Nats, really felt it when he said that.

For what it's worth, I'd like to request that each individual commenter limit himself to no more than 4 posts a week [kvetching] that Brown isn't playing enough. Reasonable?Just trying to get out in front of it here.

I'm rooting for everyone over Colbert. Even the Yankees. I'd root for the PHILLIES to best Colbert, except for the obvious fact he plays for them.Now that we had those stats about Ankiel batting without RISP, I knew not to hold out too much hope.

NatsLady said… See now, RZ with a rare error, JZ just goes and gets the next guy. Maturity. I like that in a pitcher. Well, in a Nats pitcher. May 28, 2012 1:43 PM __________________________Thinking the same thing. Not so sure last year he would have had the same mature result.

Not making excuses for Zim. This is just a personal observation.The grass portion of the playing surface is horrible. They obviously have a learning curve to go throigh on this whole indoor/ outdoor grass growing thing.

mick said… is the 60 day DL retroactive on Werth or does it begin from when Werth first went on DL?how long is tracy out? May 28, 2012 2:15 PM ________________________________Werth's DL isn't an issue as it will be more than 60 days.Tracy has to sit out a full 15 days.

Way off topic but knowing that the Nationals played a late game the night before and have to travel afterwards, how does MLB allow the Marlins to schedule this game for a 1:10 start? That just doesn't seem right to me, game should not be allowed to start until at least 4:00 PM.

of course you realize NatsLady that the Nat's HITTING is dramatically IMPROVED since Werth left the lineup? IMO they are far better off offensively with Werth safely ensconced on the bench and Harper in right field. You give Werth far too much credit … he really hasn't been much more than a goo veteran bench bat. From the get-go.

Colbert with the death combo (walk and HR) so it's tied 2-2 in NY.Wow, that is some graphic. Nats pitchers have held their opponents to under 10 hits since some date in 2011–longest streak since 1968 (something like that… pretty amazing).

Your avatar looks like his photo and you earlier said :Eddie, I posed the same question to Mark on Twitter. At least that photo minimizes The Thing.Personally I think its a jinx given the deep slump they were in when he was in the line up.

Just wondering about Lombo and Miami Bryce. Have they played together much? They seem to talk a lot and have a good chemistry following each other. Is Lombo the nearest in age to Bryce. I know Bryce likes to chat with older guys to learn, but he needs buddies, too. I loved watching them both score. Oh, crap – Stanton strikes again.

mick said… Jordan, tale yourself out and apologize to your manager and team for being a loser today, your 2-4 record speaks for itself! May 28, 2012 2:55 PM _____________________________Take a chill pill. Do you think thats the 1st HR Stanton has ever hit?

like I said what the heck was Rizzo thinking offering the best relief pitcher in the game and Lombo for one player? Now, if Storen is really hurt, then I giess a straight up Jones – Lombo trade would have made sense

mick said… Gonat, no it is not his first HR, but its his 2nd off ZIM!!! May 28, 2012 3:00 PM ____________________________Cole Hamels has given up 2 HRs today and 4 earned runs. Does he suck as a pitcher?You are such a negative person. Give it a rest and try to be positive, it works wonders for the soul.

Still wouldn't want him on my team. Have to assume Rizzo feels the same.________________________________________________Cole Hamels has given up 2 HRs today and 4 earned runs. Does he suck as a pitcher?

That's why Lombo should, and should not be in L.F. all demonstrated in two pitches! An everyday outfielder guns the runner at the plate. The ball wasn't hit very deep. Then he makes a terrific backhanded catch on the very next play.

In general I though JZim's stuff looked good today. It happens to the best of them. Not fair to criticize Lombo – he is doing really well at an un-natural position. We need his bat. Just because you go behind in a game doesn't mean that suddenly your pitcher or your whole team is terrible. More offense would certainly be nice, though, if they can just stay awake a little longer.

baseballswami, Lombo has done a good job in LF. Its really the first time we have seen his arm out there and it is weak. That was the book on him and like Mick said, they won't let him play 2nd base any more.

Couple of comments:It's a 162 game season. You're going to lose some. Relax.Baseball is unwatchable in that stadium. Between the fish tanks, chartreuse walls, that whatever it is in centerfield, the level of awfulness is amazing. As has been said, it is the tackiest park in baseball. What's really frightening is that the guys who built it are art dealers.I don't normally dump on umpires, but if the Pitchtrack is close to accurate, this plate umpire has no clue and is amazingly inconsistent.

And FP was exactly right when he said before the game that the lack of sleep would start to show around the sixth or seventh. The guys have always battled back late but there was nothing left in the tank to do it with today. It happens. Marathon. Just get an early night's sleep and let eJax hook 'em tomorrow.

Not a great offensive explosion considering one of the 3 runs was a HR by JZim. Since BHarper was called up, the Nats have been scoring 4.18 runs per game so they fell below that average and that 4.18 is where they need to be at a minimum.

After the catch on harper's fly that was a great catch by the LF, the team's balloon burst and the team took the rest of the day off with not one good swing except possibly Corey Brown's last one that flew to CF. As for Ankiel he had to raise his hands to swing at strike 3 . I was taught if you ever have to raise your hands to swing you don't. But then again I never made it to the makors, I just learned that rule better. In reality we do so many weird things batting, weing at balls, snot swing at strikes, thenoccasionally we hit the ball well. My approach as a hitting advisor 9since Ecl is not a coach I learned), is just so different.)

Yes, NL, but while Morse is out, I'd prefer Werth in the lineup over Berni/Ankiel who would normally be on the bench.Anyway, maybe now that Lombo has done so much with his opportunity, maybe Brown can do the same. It's time to cut bait on Ankiel as a starter…good bench/defensive replacement.Lombo/harper/zimm/morse/desmond/laroche/brown/floresthis weekend…nothing lost using brown over ankiel in the long run and lombo vs righties

What Catch50 said.Hey, folks, heads up. We're 5-2 on a very tough road trip, not to mention we're still in first.Some thoughts from a Grumpy Old Man of Baseball:I really like Rick Ankiel, but he had a crummy game in CF.If he can't give us near perfection defensively, we can't afford his bat in the lineup.That said, three heads up baserunning plays by the Reyes punk.I would like to see Steve Lombardozzi spell Espinosa at 2B every three or four games. Lombo does not belong in LF.Sometimes Roger Bernadina just doesn't have his head in the game.Bryce Harper is my favorite new player I've seen in over 50 years of watching baseball.I am confused as to why we are keeping Tyler Moore on the big league club.I assume he'll go down next week when the Beast returns.THIS JUST IN: Tyler Moore sent down, Solano called up.I tip my hat to Davey for putting Henry in today.I detest MASN, but ESPN makes me appreciate them.I really like this blog most of the time, but I really believe there to be several misogynists on this board.Davey seems pretty pooped in his post game show. I'm glad he's pissed with Rick Ankiel. I am, too.